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From Philadelphia to York: George Jowett, Mark Berry, Bob Hoffman, and the Rebirth of American Weightlifting, 1927-1936*

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From Philadelphia to York: George Jowett, Mark Berry, Bob Hoffman, and the Rebirth of American Weightlifting, 1927-1936* APRIL 1996 IRON GAME HISTORY FROM PHILADELPHIA TO YORK: GEORGE JOWETT, MARK BERRY, BOB HOFFMAN, AND THE REBIRTH OF AMERICAN WEIGHTLIFTING, 1927-1936* John Fair, Ph.D. Auburn University at Montgomery Editor’s Note: This article is the final installment of a trilogy on the origins of American weightlifting written by Dr. John Fair, chairman of the history department at AUM. The first two installments appeared in IGH vol. 2 no. 6 (May 1993) and IGH vol. 3 no. 5 (December 1994). If you missed those issues and would like copies, back order information is available on page 28. and Jowett’s conduct of exhibition meets at Milo on a regular basis, Philadelphia became the center of iron game activity.2 That Jowett was unable to sustain his lofty standing may be attribut- ed to his inability to control the commercial and political infras- tructure of weightlifting. Hence the capricious owner of Milo, Daniel Redmond, was easily able to replace him as editor of We have always Strength in 1927 with the more pliable Mark Berry.3 American had a soft spot in weightlifting languished for several years as Berry’s Association our heart for of Bar Bell Men (ABBM) proved to be merely an imitation of the Philly, because once it was the Mecca of bar- ACWLA and the parent company struggled to survive the onset bell bugs. We came here timidly and shook hands of the Depression. But Berry, through the offices of Dietrich reverently with the Great Man, and later, when Wortmann, did forge an important alliance with the Amateur Ath- Calvert passed out of the picture, we hobnobbed letic Union (AAU), a step that was as important to the future of with his successors, George Jowett and Mark American lifting as the promotional acumen of Jowett. What Berry. We met our long-time pal Sig Klein in brought these disparate strands together in the early 1930s was this very town, in the old, dusty Milo building on Bob Hoffman whose financial resources and dynamic personal- narrow Palethorp street. ity brought about a supplanting of Redmond’s malevolent influ- Came the 1930s and like the Capital of ence and a rebirth of American weightlifting. the United States was once moved to York during The story of these unique developments has never been Revolutionary Days, young and vigorous Bob recounted in full. The first historical glimpse of events in this crit- Hoffman picked up the torch that others had laid ical era was provided by Hoffman in his “Story of the World down, and the Capital of the Weight-Lifting World Famous York Barbell Club” in successive issues of Strength & moved 90 miles westward to Muscletown. Then Health just after World War II. Unfortunately the account ter- the real development of American Lifting began.1 minates in 1932, York’s take-off year, and, not surprisingly, –Harry Paschall focuses unduly on the achievements of Bob and his gang, rele- gating other worthies of the sport to bystander roles. Jowett, for In the early decades of the twentieth century, weightlifting instance, invited by Hoffman to a contest in the mid-1920s to became an organized sport in the United States under the guidance choose York’s strongest man, “just sat there aiding us perhaps by of Alan Calvert, Ottley Coulter, George Jowett, and David Willough- his presence, but doing nothing to run the meet.”4 Likewise David by. But it was Jowett who did most to foster its growth during the Willoughby’s serialized “History of American Weight-Lifting,” 1920s through his development of the American Continental Weight which appeared in Your Physique a few years later, strongly Lifting Association (ACWLA) and his editing of Strength magazine reflects the author’s personal views and the activities of the Los from 1924 to 1927. Not only did the latter constitute a major source Angeles Athletic Club. With regard to the circumstances behind of inspiration for fledgling lifters, but its effect was enhanced by its the submission of the ACWLA and ABBM to the AAU, he is association with Milo Barbell Company, the principal supplier of lift- only able to admit “I do not know.”5 David Webster’s Iron Game, ing apparatus since 1902. With the presence of Herrmann’s Gym though providing a much broader and more balanced perspec- 3 IRON GAME HISTORY VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 tive, comes to no closer quarters on substantive issues of reorgani- the organizational hierarchy of weightlifting, however, it was neces- zation. As for Hoffman, he points out that “Bob has never been noted sary to supplant his connections with the increasingly powerful AAU. for his modesty and likes to tell of his most interesting life. So much At its Baltimore convention in 1926 Jowett had assumed chairman- has been written about him that further comment here would be ship of an AAU weightlifting committee which included Roy Smith superfluous.”6 Yet Hoffman’s triumphs in the early 1930s cannot be of New York City, Donald Mitchell of Easthampton, Massachusetts, so easily dismissed, and lest his role be overstated by relying too much Albert Manger of Baltimore, and Marion Betty of Los Angeles. on York publications, it is possible to gain a more accurate picture of Exactly how it would relate to the ACWLA was unclear, but it was how the center of gravity in weightlifting shifted from Philadelphia incumbent on Jowett to coordinate the committee’s activities with to York by consulting hitherto untapped sources in Strength and the AAU chief Charles Dieges.12 In the months following his takeover Todd-McLean Collection at the University of Texas. of Strength, Berry made every effort to inspire a new organization- Upon being dismissed from Milo in 1927, Jowett’s first al framework. After informing readers of the August 1927 issue that inclination was to strike back. “Redmond pulled off a dirty trick on “the response to our call for members has been nothing short of me,” he told Coulter, “but I am not through with him yet. If it is pos- wonderful,” Berry announced that the new ABBM would have a sible I will make him regret it.” To this end, Jowett intended to file board of control consisting of Warren Lincoln Travis and Siegmund a $17,000 suit for damages, reinstate his claim to profits from the sale Klein of New York, Charles McMahon and himself of Philadelphia, of his books by Milo, and reassert his right to advertise in Strength. and Arnold Schiemann of Baltimore.13 He also set up a photographic He was also scheming to “buy Redmonds mailing list through anoth- posing competition, reported a major strength show that he refereed er firm,” he explained to Coulter. “He will go mad if he knows it is in New York City, listed the current British and European records, for me. By the way he is laughing he has got me out of the business and announced plans for future shows in Philadelphia. Included in and that I cannot get a job in the game.”7 Jowett felt nothing but con- the latter was a national weightlifting competition to be conducted at tempt for Redmond who had “better be careful for I am not in the various locations nationwide with the results being mailed to Strength. mood to be trifled with by a physical inferiority as he” and for Berry Robert Hoffman, still a relative unknown, won the heavyweight class who “looks like a starved shit.”8 Despite his bravado, Jowett need- in Philadelphia (by default) and thereby became national champion, ed a steady income to support his ailing wife Bessie and daughter With this flurry of activity under the ABBM rubric, affiliation with Phyllis in Canada, and for awhile he even considered joining his the AAU might not have seemed necessary to Berry, but to ensure pal Coulter on the police force in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. His sev- that Jowett did not seize this organizational initiative he secured a erance from Milo not only cost him advertising and mail privileges statement from its secretary, published in the December 1927 issue but denied him an effective medium for self-promotion and propa- of Strength, that the AAU was not allied with the ACWLA.14 gation of his gospel of “scientific lifting.” Eventually he worked Jowett was, in fact, planning an approach to the AAU, but his way back into the iron game by founding the Jowett Institute of concern over its links with the International Olympic Committee Physical Culture and pursuing various other mail order schemes with (IOC), involving changes in bodyweight classifications and number International Correspondence Schools in Scranton. But survival was of competitive lifts, made him reluctant. Whereas both the ACWLA by no means easy. Jowett was forced to sell his home in Philadel- and ABBM were modeled on the rules of the British Amateur phia and to sleep in his car during the summer months.9 Then he Weightlifting Association (BAWLA), it was French rules that had avoided room rent by “sleeping in the shop of a friend,” he related to largely governed international competition since the Antwerp Coulter in December, “but it is getting too cold for that, so I figured Olympics in 1920.15 Whatever prestige might be accrued from such if I could get a good office room cheap it would do for both purpos- an affiliation, reasoned Coulter, it could also discourage membership es. I hit a good one this week with heat & light for 20 oo a month less in the ACWLA. “The more lifts, the more lifters will be interested than I paid for a room.
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